Crab gear stolen

[Mr56Jeep]

Might be a nice day to sit on the beach with a spotting scope and a cell phone   

[PolarBear]

  I started putting a tiny black waterproof bottle in the bait box with my info on it.  It is small enough that the average joe would not even see it.  If you catch someone who you suspect has your pot, it is marked with identifying information.  One of these days I am going out to Nisqually, drop some pots off and sit across the bay with my spotting scope and see what we can come up with.  My Skeeter will do 80 mph so I doubt if they can out run me.

[Alchase]

I am surprised the WDFW has not done just that!
The theft of crab pots has been rampant in the Nisqually region for years now. How hard would it be for the enforcement folks to set up a sting there? Nail a few thieves and publicize it in all the papers.  Seriously they should have done that years ago.
Who knows maybe they are doing that and the problem is why beyond their control.   

[WSU]

I would be willing to bet that a lot of the "stolen" pots at nisqually are actually lost pots.  I speak from experience, and watched it happen to my pots along with about 20 others this year on the opener.  The tide really rips off the flat, and within about 10 or 15 minutes all the pots went from bouys floating nicely to gone.  I came back at the slack at daylight, and there were 4 or 5 pots left where there were 20 some at dark.  Unless everyone pulled them in the dark, they got washed away.  I'm sure the pots got pulled right off the shelf. 

This isn't to say that pots aren't stolen.  I know for a fact some of mine have been picked while I was out there this year, and don't doubt there are plenty of lowlifes who would take someone's pots.  Also, if you can't find your pot, don't be afraid to look a hundred or so yards away.  Often people float away from were they pulled your pot while they clean you out, and the toss it out when they are done. The end result is your pot moving which ever way the tide was going when they pulled your pot.

[PolarBear]

You are right on about pots being swept into deeper water.  I would also bet that most of them wind up that way.  This is why I weight my pots (30-35 lbs) , double buoy and have almost twice the depth of line (weighted enough to stay under).  The pots that I "lost" were set up like this and I use my sonar to make sure that they are not sitting near one of the shelfs. It is also a good idea to be near your pots at slack tide when the current won't effect your buoys as much.  I bet that someone with a grappling hook with a long line and a diver bag could find plenty of lost pots out there.  Throw it out and let it drift.